Car-coupling.



No. 730,978. PATENTED JUNE 16, 1903 G W SMILLIE GAR GOU PLING.

APPLIOATION FILED we. 6, 1902.

3 SHEETS-BHEET 1.

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mm QLW 43y; (film ls PETERS oo- PATENTED JUNE 16, 1903;v

G. W. SMILLIE. GAR COUPLING.

APPLIQATION nLnn AUG. 0, 1902.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- H0 MODEL.

PATENTED JUNE-16, 1903.

G. w. SMILLIE.

GAR COUPLING. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 6| 1902,,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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x i/tmeooeo msmcmms PETERS w. vnu'ru-Lwn Patented June 16, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. SMILLIE, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 730,978, dated June 16, 1903.

A. Application filed August 6, 1902- Serial No. 118.589. (No model-1 To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. SMILLIE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, Essex county, State of New. Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates -to car-couplers of the vertical plane type,and has particular reference to an-improved' means for holding the locking device, which in the present case is in the form of a pin,out of locking engagement withthe knuckle during the drilling, switching, or other similar moving or shifting of cars. a

In drilling or switching cars it is the usual practice to raise the locking device from its position of locking engagement with the knuckle and support the same in such raised position by some means, so as to leave the knuckle free to uncouple at the desired time. The means in most general use for thus supporting the locking device consists of the usual uncoupling-lever,which has connection therewith and is supported in brackets on the car, and a so-called lever-rest, over or upon which an arm of the uncouplinglever is adapted to be placed by a longitudinal movement of the latter after it has been operated to raise the locking device. This means, how: ever, is objectionable, in that the lever is liable to become displaced from its position on the rest by the jolting or jarring movement of the car, and so permit the locking device to again drop into locking engagement with the knuckle before the switching operation has taken place. In case the uncouplinglever has retained its position upon the rest, however, it will be necessary for the trainman to remove it therefrom in order to permit the locking device to drop into locking positionwhen the car is to be againcoupled.

The use of such means is therefore objection-' locking device to again drop into locking position.

Having in mind the above facts, it has been the principal object of my invention to provide an improved means for holding the looking device in its raised or unlocking position that will not be subject to displacement by the jarring or other movement of the car and that will be automatic in its operation both in holding the locking device in unlocking position and in releasing the same at the proper time.

To this end my invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement, and combinations of parts as hereinafter set forth in detail, and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification, Figure 1 is a horizontal section through a car-coupler embodying my invention, taken on line 1 1 of Fig. 2, the parts being in their normal position with the locking device or pin in its lowered or looking position relative to the knuckle. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same with the draw-bar in vertical section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is'a similar view with the rear end ofthe draw-bar broken away, showing the position assumedwby the parts when the locking device or pin is raised to its unlocking position to release the knuckle. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section showing the position of the parts when the knuckle is opened. Fig. 5 is a side elevation with the draw-bar in section, showing the position of the partsduring the opening of the knuckle. Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the position of the parts at a certain time during the closing of the knuckle, and Figs. '7 and 8 are enlarged detail views to be refer'red'to.

In the drawings, the draw-head 1, the swinging hook or knuckle 2, pivoted to said drawhead, and the locking device 3, which latter in the-present case is in the form of a socalled coupling-pin, supported to be vertically movable within an opening in the drawhead to and from a position of engagement with the knucklenare all, so far as described, of usual construction and operation.

In accordance with my invention I have provided a lock-support 4, which, as herein shown, is supported to have a horizontallysliding movement within guides 5 5 in the shank 6 of the draw-head and be yieldingly held by a spring 7 in a normal position, with its front end pressing against the locking device when the latter is in its lowered or looking position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the said spring 7being located on the reduced rear end of the lock-support, with one end bearing against a shoulder 8 thereon and its opposite end bearing against one of the stationary guides 5. With the lock-support 4: thus arranged and supported it will be antomatically operated to move forward beneath the locking device immediately upon the raising of the latter from locking engagement with the knuckle and support the same in such position, as shownin Fig; 3, a pin 9, supported at its ends in the draw-head and extending through an elongated slot 10 in the pin-support, serving to limit and control the forward movement of the latter.

The spring 7 for moving or projecting the lock-support forward to its position'beneath the locking device will preferably be of such strength as to readily perform this function, but not such as would cause the locking device when the lock-su'pport bears against the side of the same to unduly'bind against the walls of its opening and interfere with its ready upward or unlocking movement. The spring being of such strength, however, it is possible that thelock-support might becaused to be thrown backward against the pressure of the spring and from its supporting position beneath the locking device by a sudden or violent shock or jarring of the car, such as might be caused by the coming together of two or more cars with sudden and unusual force. To guard against this possibility, I have provided the lock-support with an inclined shoulder 12 on its under side, which is adapted to rest against a correspondinglyshaped shoulder or surface 13 on the inner wall of the draw-head when the lock-support is in its forward or supporting position, as shown in Fig. 3, the said shoulder13 serving as a stop to prevent any undue backward movement of the lock-support that might be caused by jar or shock in the manner referred to.

The lock-support is arranged with its upper or supporting surface in substantially the same plane as the upper surface of the kn uckle-arm 2, as shown, and the front end of this lock-support, which is in the form of a relatively thin flange, is arranged so that one side thereof (indicated at 15) will overlap the upper surface of the knuckle-arm when the lock-support is moved forward to its position beneath the locking device,whereby the knuc' kle-arm may operate to lift the said lock-support at its front end and pass forward beneath the same when the knuckle is opened, the under side of the lock-support where it overlaps the knuckle-arm being preferably beveled, as at 16 in Fig. 7, and engaging with a corresponding surface on the knuckle-arm,

so as to permit of the ready passage of the latter thereunder. When the knuckle is being opened, as caused by the disconnection of the car in the switching or other operation, the front end of the lock-support, with the locking device thereon, will be raised and supported by theknuckle-arm during its for ward passage thereunder, as shown in Fig. 5, until the knuckle is fully opened, at which time the lock-support will drop by gravity upon a ledge 17, formed on the knuckle-arm in a plane below the upper surface of the latter, as shown in Fig. 4. After the lock-support has dropped onto this ledge 17 upon the complete opening of the knuckle its front end will then be engaged by a cam-surface 18, which is formed in the present instance by the vertical wall between the upper surface of the knuckle-arm and its ledge 17, this cam operating during the closing of the knuckle to gradually force the lock-support backward against the pressure of the spring 7 and away from its supporting position beneath the locking device until the latter rests upon the knuckle-arm and thereafter continuing to control the position of the lock-support and hold it in its backward position until the knuckle-arm has moved .from beneath the locking device and the latter has dropped to its locking position, after which the said cam will release the lock-support and permit it to be again moved forward under the pressure of the spring 7 to its position of engagement with the locking device, the relative positions of the parts when the locking device has dropped to its locking position and the locksupport is just released or about to be released by the cam being shown in Fig. 8. By the means described the locking device after it has been raised from its locking position relative to the knuckle and engaged by its support 4 will not be released or permitted to again drop to its locking position until the knuckle has been fully opened, as caused by the uncoupling of the car, and then subsequently closed, as would usually and properly be caused by the car again being coupled. The support of the locking device in its raised position is therefore not dependent upon any particular position of the knuckle, and the latter may be partially opened and then again closed, as might be caused by the jolting or jarring of the car, without in any way disturbing the support of the locking device.

When the knuckle has been moved to its open or uncoupling position and the lock-support has dropped upon the ledge 17 of the knuckle-arm and into engagement with the cam-surface 18, as shown in Fig. 4, the locksupport in pressing forward under the action of the spring 7 against the said cam-surface 18 operates to yieldingly hold the knuckle in its open position and prevent closing of the same as againstany undue shock orjar until it has been again brought into coupling engagement with another coupler, at which time the ICC lock-support 4 will readily yield to permit the closing of the knuckle under the force of the contact of the engaging coupler. As a means to prevent the lock-support from riding upward or disengaging from the knucklearm during the closing movement of the knuckle, as before described, I have formed the cam 18 with an undercut surface, as most clearly shown in Figs. 5 and 6, this surface operating to hold the correspondingly shaped or beveled front edge of the lock-support against vertical displacement relative thereto.

Under some circumstances a coupling-link is used to connect with a car-coupler of the vertical plane type. As this link has considerable endwise play, I have provided the drawhead with two lugs or blocks 20 20, formed or located therein, with their front face in advance of the lock-support stop-pin 9, so as to receive the contact of the link and prevent the said stop-pin being engaged and bent or broken thereby. V

Having thus set forth a simple and practical embodiment of my invention, I do not wish to be understood as confining myself to the particular details of construction and combinations of parts, as described and illus trated, as the same may be more or less materially modified Without departure from the spirit of the invention. For instance, the

lock-support, although described as being spring-actuated in its forward movement, will operate by gravity in such direction and without the aid of the spring, if so desired. This will beclearly understood by reference to Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, the locksupport 4 being shown in the former figure resting upon the inclined surface 13 of the inner wall of the draw-head and with its front end bearing against the locking device and being shown in the latter figure, Fig. 3, farther down upon the surface 13 and in a forward position beneath the locking device,

the lock-support being capable of movement 'from one position to the other by gravity. A spring is preferably employed, however, as shown, to insure a quicker and more positive action of the lock-support.

WVhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a car-coupler, the combination, with a draw-head, a swinging knuckle, and a locking device for the knuckle, of a lock-support for supporting the locking device in unlocking position relative to the knuckle, the said lock-support being independent of connection with the locking device and automatically movable to its said supporting position prior to the opening of the knuckle, and means for controlling the movement of the lock-support during the closing of the knuckle and until the locking device has moved to its locking position relative to the knuckle, for the purpose set forth.

2. In a car-coupler, the combination, with a draw-head, aswinging knuckle, and a locking device for the knuckle, of a lock-support movable to and from an operative position for supporting the locking device in unlocking position relative to the knuckle, and a spring for automatically moving the lock-support to its said operative position subsequent to the movement of the locking device to its unlocking position andprior to the opening of the knuckle, for the purpose set forth.

- 3. In a car-coupler, the combination, with a draw-head, a swinging knuckle, and a looking device for the knuckle, of a lock-support longitudinally movable to and from an operative position for supporting the locking device in unlocking position relative to the knuckle, and a spring for moving the locksupport to its said operative position subse quent to the movement of the locking device to *its unlocking position and prior to the opening of the knuckle, for the purpose set forth.

4. In a car-coupler, the combination, with a draw-head, a swinging knuckle, and a looking device for the knuckle, of a lock-support independent of connection with the locking device and movable to and from a position for supporting said locking device in unlocking position relative to the knuckle, and means for automatically moving the locksupport to and from its said operative position and controlling the movement of-the same until the locking device has moved into locking position relative to the knuckle upon the closing of the latter.

5. In a car-coupler, the combination, with a draw-head, a swinging knuckle, and a looking device for the knuckle, of a lock-support independent of connection with the locking device and movable to and from an operative position for supporting said locking device, means for moving the lock-support to its said operative position subsequent to the movement of the locking device to its unlocking position and prior to the opening of the knuckle, and means for moving the locksupport from its said operative position subsequent to the opening of the knuckle and controlling its movement until the locking device has moved into locking position relative to the knuckle, for the purpose set forth.

6. In acar-coupler, the combination, with a draw-head, of a swinging knuckle, a looking device for the knuckle, a lock-support independent of connection with the locking device and movable to and from an operative position for supporting said locking device,

IIo

and means for moving the lock-support to its said operative position upon the movement of the locking device to unlocking position, the said knuckle being provided with means for moving the lock-support from its said operative position and controlling its movement until the locking device has dropped into locking position relative to the knuckle, for the purpose set forth.

7. In a car-coupler, the combinationwith a draw-head, of a swinging knuckle, a looking device for the knuckle, a lock-support independent of connection with the locking device and movable to and from an operative position for supporting said locking device, and means for moving the lock-support to its said operative position upon the movement of the locking device to unlocking position, the said knuckle being provided with a cam for engaging with and moving the lock-support from its said operative position and controlling its movement until the locking device has dropped into locking position relative to the knuckle, for the purpose set forth.

8. In a car-coupler, the combination, with a draw-head, of a swinging knuckle, a locking device for the knuckle, and a lock-support independent of connection with the looking device and movable to and from an operative position for supporting said locking device and being automatically movable into said operative position upon the raising of the locking device to unlocking position and prior to the opening of the knuckle, the said knuckle being provided with means for moving the lock-support from its said operative position during the closing of the knuckle and controlling its movement until the looking device has dropped into locking position relative to the knuckle, for the purpose set forth.

9. In a car-coupler, the combination, with a draw-head, of a swinging knuckle, a looking device for the knuckle, and a lock-support independent of connection with the locking device and movable to and from an operative position for supporting said locking device and being automatically movable into said operative position upon the raising of the locking device to unlocking position, the said knuckle being. providedwith a cam for engaging with the lock-support subsequent to the complete opening of the knuckle and during the closing of the same, for the purpose set forth.

10. In a car-coupler, the combination, with a draw-head, of a swinging knuckle, 'a looking device for the knuckle, and a lock-support movable to and from an operative position for supporting the locking device and being automatically movable into said operative position upon the raising of the locking device to unlocking position, the said knuckle being provided with an undercut cam-surface for engaging with the lock-support duringthe closing movement of the knuckle, for the purpose set forth.

11. In a car-coupler, the combination, with the draw-head, of a swinging knuckle, a vertically-movable locking device for the knuckle, and a look-support independentof connection with the locking device and movable to and from an operative position in the path of the knuckle-arm for supporting the locking device, and being automatically movable into said operative position upon the raising of the locking device to unlocking position, the said knuckle-arm during its opening movement being movable beneath the locksupport and having means for engaging with the latter during the closing of the knuckle and movingthe same from its said operative position, for the purpose set forth.

12. In a car-coupler, the combination, with a draw-head, of a swinging knuckle, a vertically-movable lockin g device for the knuckle, and alock-support independent of connection with the locking device and movable to and from an operative position in the path of the knuckle-arm for supporting the locking device, and being automatically movable into said operative position upon the raising of the locking device to unlocking position, the said knuckle-arm during its opening move ment being movable beneath the lock-support and having a cam -surface below the plane of its upper surface into engagement with which the lock-support drops upon the opening of the knuckle, for the purpose set forth.

13. In a car-coupler, the combination, with the draw-head, of aswinging knuckle, a vertically-movable locking device for the knuckle, and a lock-support movable to and from an operative position in the path of the kn uckle-arm for supporting the locking device and being automatically movable into said operative position upon the raising of the locking device to n nlocking position, the said knuckle-arm during its opening movement operating to move beneath and raise the locksupport and having a cam-surface below the plane of its upper surface into engagement with which the lock-support drops by gravity upon the complete opening of the knuckle, for the purpose set forth.

14. In a car-coupler, the combination, with the draw-head, of aswinging knuckle, a vertically-movable locking device for the knuckle, and a lock-support movable to and from an operative position in the path of the knuckle-arm for supporting the locking device and being automatically movable into said operative position upon the raising of the locking device to unlocking position, the said knuckle-arm during its opening movement operating to'move beneath and raise the lock-support and having a supporting-ledge below the plane of its upper surface upon which the lock-support drops upon the opening of the knuckle, and also having a cam-surface for engaging with and controlling the position of the lock-support during the closing of the knuckle, for the purpose set forth.

15. In a-car-coupler, the combination, with a draw-head, of a swinging knuckle, a vertically-movable locking device for the knuckle, and a lock-support independent of connection with the locking device and movable to and from an operative position in the path of the knuckle-arm for supporting the looking device and being automatically movable into said operative position upon the raising of the locking device to unlocking position, the said knuckle'arm being provided with a cam for engaging with the lock-support and operating to move the latter from its operative lock-supporting position during the closing of the knuckle and thereafter releasing the same subsequent to the dropping of the locking device into locking position.

16. In a car-coupler, the combination, with a draw-head, a swinging knuckle, and a locking device for the knuckle, of a lock-support movable to and from an operative position for supporting the locking device in unlocking position relative to the knuckle, means for moving the lock-support to its said operative position prior to the opening of the knuckle, and means for movably holding the lock-support against undue backward movementfrom its said operative position, for the purpose set forth.

17. In a car-coupler, the combination, with adraw-head, a swinging knuckle, and alockname to this specification, in the presence of 30 two subscribing witnesses, this 31st day of Jul 1902.

GEORGE W. SMILLIE. Witnesses:

CHAS. F. DANE, M. L. FORREST. 

